Apple Watch: With great intimacy comes great responsibility

Here's how notifications work on the Apple Watch: When a new one comes in, the "taptic engine" a linear actuator literally taps you on the wrist to let you know about it. There's no loud buzzing to draw anyone else's attention, just a subtle but recognizable tap, just for you. The "short look" for the notification provides a minimum of information. Nothing for anyone else to spy, just the icon for the app that's notifying a brief bit of context as to who or why. If you lower your wrist, it goes away. If you don't, or if you tap it, it expands into a "long look" and gives you the details. That kind of staging respects that with greater intimacy comes greater responsibility. And I hope that it's a sign of more features to come.